Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations

Abstract

Background: Endurance events have experienced a significant increase in growth in the new millennium and are popular activities for participation globally. Sports nutrition recommendations for endurance exercise however remains a complex issue with often opposing views and advice by various health care professionals. Methods: A PubMed/Medline search on the topics of endurance, athletes, nutrition, and performance was undertaken and a review performed summarizing the current evidence concerning macronutrients, hydration, and supplements as it pertains to endurance athletes. Results: Carbohydrate and hydration recommendations have not drastically changed in years, while protein and fat intake have been traditionally underemphasized in endurance athletes. Several supplements are commercially available to athletes, of which, few may be of benefit for endurance activities, including nitrates, antioxidants, caffeine, and probiotics, and are reviewed here. The topic of “train low,” training in a low carbohydrate state is also discussed, and the post-exercise nutritional “recovery window” remains an important point to emphasize to endurance competitors. Conclusions: This review summarizes the key recommendations for macronutrients, hydration, and supplements for endurance athletes, and helps clinicians treating endurance athletes clear up misconceptions in sports nutrition research when counseling the endurance athlete.

Ergogenic Effect of Nitrate Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…As previously reviewed ( 1 ), early studies demonstrate that NO 3 − supplementation improves exercise tolerance in healthy humans with blunted effects in trained athletes ( 2 ). Although it is generally well accepted that NO 3 − supplementation may improve exercise tolerance in healthy, young men ( 1 , 3 – 18 ), there is substantial variability within and between studies, and previous systematic reviews have failed to find a (significant) performance-enhancing effect with NO 3 − supplementation under some conditions ( 7 , 13 , 17 ). Indeed, nearly 70% of studies examining the potential performance-enhancing effects of NO 3 − supplementation do not observe a difference in performance with NO 3 − supplementation compared with placebo.…”

Antioxidants in Sport Sarcopenia

“…In order to balance the energy deficit and following anthropometric changes (skeletal muscle mass reduction), the essential role of optimal nutritional strategies has also been demonstrated [90]. It is known that dietary supplementation helps athletes in the preparatory phase of a competition [91].…”

Effects of Dietary Nitrates on Time Trial Performance in Athletes with Different Training Status: Systematic Review

“…Nutritional strategies to increase the bioavailability of NO and possibly physical performance have been under the scope of research for many years, and there are some crucial variables (e.g., muscle fibre-type ratio, physiological limitations) which can influence their effectiveness [8,67].…”

“…Increased availability of NO via diet has been linked to ergogenic effects [6,7]. However, not all athletes can benefit from these nutritional strategies [8,9]. It seems the effectiveness of NO inducing foods and supplements is limited by an athlete's training status (aerobic fitness) and muscle fibre type ratio [10].…”